Aural history : essays on recorded sound

The belief that aural techniques are a means of expression inferior to visual ones is shared by most film scholars and, indeed, by many filmmakers. It lingers from the beginning of the sound era, when visual expressiveness was limited by the technical necessities of recording sound. Sound technicians ruled the set for several years, and, as the traditional film histories rightly say, early talking pictures - with a few conspicuous exceptions - were inferior to their silent predecessors. Furthermore, the critical neglect of sound can be seen as a vestigial bias left over from the days when film scholars were struggling to define their discipline. Until recently serious film analysis predominantly emphasized visual style as an antidote to non-cinematic approaches to film.

Aural history essays on recorded sound - …

Aural Histories: Essays on Recorded Sound | …

That said, I recognize that music is a reproductive art that requires new perspectives and renditions by each succeeding generation. In that light, it seems appropriate to recognize the major ensuing trend of historically-informed recordings that take a fresh view by emulating the sounds of Beethovens era, in terms of both actual instruments and performance practices. Such efforts transcend mere historical curiosity, as they recall the aural image that Beethoven undoubtedly had in mind while crafting his work, and thus provide fascinating insight into his creative process. The several recordings of the that strive for authenticity all boast lowered pitch, smaller ensembles, steady tempos, minimal vibrato and balances with a softer solo instrument and more prominent winds and brass than in a modern orchestra. Most also revive the tradition of fresh cadenzas. Stephanie Chase (with Roy Goodman and the Hanover Band; Cala, 1993) presents exceptionally wide dynamics and sweet solos, with her own cadenzas that are soft-spoken (I) and bouncy (III). As with the Kremer/Harnoncourt already noted, Thomas Zehetmair (with Frans Brüggen and the Orchestra of the 18th Century; Philips, 1998) plays an adaptation of Beethovens piano cadenzas, but places the violin more prominently against a crisply articulated ensemble. Vera Beths (with Bruno Weil and Tafelmusik; Vivarte 1998) picks up the pace, especially in their seven-minute that seems a bit perfunctory but adds an unusual sense of earnest forward motion, although the first-movement cadenza by Dutch cellist Anner Byksma, while commendably brief, is rather sour, brusque and only vaguely connected to the major themes. Viktoria Mullova (with John Eliot Gardiner and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique (Philips, 2003) opts for cadenzas by Italian Baroque keyboard specialist Ottavio Dantone that probe gently into the thematic material. Harking back to the more personalized renditions of an earlier age, all of these provide a valuable entree into the composer's values as well as a valid basis against which to appraise conventional recordings.